Trance (2006)
"Transe" (original title)

Sonia, a girl from St Petersburg, decides to seek a better life in western Europe. She first gets a job at a car dealer in Germany. But she is suddenly kidnapped and sold into sexual ... See full summary »

Director:

Teresa Villaverde

Writer:

Teresa Villaverde

Stars:

Ana Moreira, Viktor Rakov, Robinson Stévenin

4 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Ana Moreira	...	Sónia
Viktor Rakov
Robinson Stévenin
Iaia Forte
Andrey Chadov
Filippo Timi
Dinara Drukarova
Io Apolloni	...	Brothel Woman
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ronaldo Bonacchi
Pedro Giestas

Storyline

Sonia, a girl from St Petersburg, decides to seek a better life in western Europe. She first gets a job at a car dealer in Germany. But she is suddenly kidnapped and sold into sexual slavery. She will be dragged from country to country and resistance will only bring her misery and humiliation.

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Plot Keywords:

germany | slavery | brothel | female protagonist | female frontal nudity | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site [pt]

Country:

Italy Russia France Portugal

Language:

Portuguese German Italian Russian

Release Date:

5 October 2006 (Portugal)

Also Known As:

Trance

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gémini Films, Madragoa Filmes, Revolver Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

126 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

User Reviews

Good and bad

I saw this movie at the Toronto International Film Festival. The first hour goes terribly slowly. You just keep asking yourself where the director is going. Some people in the audience just got up and left. When we finally know what the movie is about, it's a bit easier to understand. But the ending just leaves you as perplexed as you were at the beginning. Thank God the director was there for a Q&A at the end of her film. Without it, I would have felt robbed of two hours of my life. But her comments helped me understand the meaning of a few scenes, including the last. This is a movie full of symbolism. One thing's for sure, the movie truly speaks about an ugly phenomenon in our world: human trafficking.

The movie might have a terribly slow pace and some strange scenes (à la David Lynch), one aspect we can't complain about is the photography. It's just superb. Some camera shots are just breathtaking. The music is also good.

Seen at the Varsity, during the Toronto International Film Festival, on September 16th, 2006.

77/100 (**½)